


We used to stand so strong

by guety



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Friendship, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 08:57:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14870712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guety/pseuds/guety
Summary: On their last European Championships before retirement, Chris and Victor have a chat about their rivalry and their careers.A small friendship exploration I wrote for Chrisvik zine!





	We used to stand so strong

Title: We used to stand so strong

Gold pays for dinner. It’s their own little tradition for the night after the Free Skate on the European Championships, which they have been honoring every year. And each and every time for the past seven years, it has been Victor’s treat. 

Perhaps Chris should be frustrated that he’s only won silver on his last Europeans ever before retirement, but he’s happy. He was first after the Short Program and, at the end, Victor only got gold by two points. He skated well; he’s satisfied. It feels like a good closure.

“What are you planning to do after you retire?” He asks, taking a bite of his dessert. He’s ordered the most expensive dishes on the menu, as he does every year just because Victor is paying. ”Will you keep coaching?”

“I will coach Yuuri until he retires, of course,” Victor replies. “And then we’ll have our late, year long, honeymoon.” He looks off dreamily, probably imagining himself running after Yuuri at some idyllic beach in Bali or somewhere similar. “I will think what to do next after that.”

“Should you really be so carefree, when you're retiring in a couple of months?” he asks, resting his face on his open palm. He knows Victor takes some things very seriously - mostly, skating and Yuuri - but he can be quite impulsive.

“Do you know what you’re doing after this season then?” Victor inquires, arching his eyebrows.

“Actually yes, I got a firm offer to be a commentator for the French Eurosport channel starting next season, because I have a lovely voice as you well know.” He gives Victor a sultry smile. ”And I’ll probably keep doing modeling jobs every now and then. And shows, of course.”

“Then we’ll still see each other from time to time,” Victor comments, "in competitions and shows."

“I guess so,” Chris agrees. He imagines it won’t be so different from now on, most of the top skaters will move on to related careers and they will run into each other at different events. Still, it will be weird to be there and not compete himself, to see Victor as only a friend and not a rival. 

“Well, I’ll figure out the details later but I’ll probably keep choreographing,” Victor adds after a short pause. “I always liked choreographing my own programs, but until I went to Japan I didn’t realize how fun it is to create a program for someone else.” He gives Chris a long, studied look. “Why don't you let me choreograph an exhibition program for you, for this summer’s shows?”

Chris blinks. “You want to choreograph for me?” 

“Why wouldn't I?” Victor asks, and he actually looks confused. “You have a unique style and you’re one of the best skaters out there, any choreographer would be happy to work with you.” 

Maybe that should be a given. Chris has been called the best spinner in the world on several occasions and has some of the highest scores ever achieved in the history of the sport. He was the first man to ever land a quad lutz in competition, the second ever to score over 100 points in the Short Program, over 200 in the Free Skate or over 300 in the combined score. He knows he’s an excellent skater, and Victor isn’t self-absorbed enough to not be aware of that too, but it’s the first time he’s said that directly to Chris. He can’t help feeling flattered at the praise, and slightly confused at how to reply to it. 

“I was annoyed when I heard you were taking a break to coach Yuuri,” he finally ends up saying after a brief pause, and isn’t even sure what prompts him to confess that, “I thought you didn’t consider me enough of a rival to keep you motivated.” Victor doesn’t reply, just listens to him. “I know that was conceited, that it had nothing to do with me. Then I thought it would be easy to win gold at the Grand Prix Final without you around, but turned out I was wrong.” He sighs. “Serves me right, I guess.”

Victor looks at him with a strange, pensive expression. “Remember when I tore my ACL and had to undergo surgery?” He asks, out of the blue.

“How could I not? Your fans were weeping all around the globe,” he expects Victor to laugh at that, but his friend doesn’t. He’s looking at his glass, lost in thought. 

“I think that’s the most frustrated I’ve ever been.” Perhaps many people would be surprised to learn that Victor Nikiforov is capable of feeling frustration, but Chris isn’t. He knows Victor far too well to be shocked by that. “Every moment I had to spend doing rehabilitation and away from the ice seemed like an eternity,” Victor continues, “and even when I was finally allowed into the rink, I had to take it easy with the jumps. I hate taking it slow,” 

“Oh yeah? Mind telling me how many months were you pining after Yuuri before you decided to kiss him?” Chris jokes. It’s not usual for them to have this kind of heartfelt conversation, and he’s not really sure how to react.

Victor laughs. “Yuuri is an exception!” He looks at Chris. “The Russian Skating Federation, the press, and well, many other people were doubting I could make a full comeback. I remember an article saying it was ‘such a pity’ because I had ‘so much potential’,” it’s evident by his voice that he’s still irritated by such comments, “but you never counted me out. You called me and said I’d better focus on healing properly because you wanted to compete against me and win fair and square.”

Chris smiles. He had been 19 when that happened, and still a bit of a brat. “Yeah, I remember. But at the end, you beat me. You got silver at Worlds that season, and I was bronze. And the next season, you won gold,”

Victor nods. “But you always challenged me. Even when the rest considered me unbeatable, you saw me as a normal person, as a rival,” he smiles, “that made me happy.”

_ But I never managed to beat you _ . Chris thinks, but he doesn’t say it out loud. “You’re not unbeatable anymore,” he says instead. 

Victor beams. “No, I’m not.” 

Chris raises his glass. “Well then, to the younger generations that will surpass us,” 

“And to the end of our magnificent careers as competitive skaters,” Victor adds, and clinks his glass against Chris’. 

After they empty their drinks, Victor puts his glass down and leans forward, “So how do you want to celebrate our last Europeans?”

“If we weren’t both in committed, monogamous relationships, I would offer to give you head,” Chris winks, and Victor laughs good-naturedly, “but instead of that, since we’re old men about to retire, how about we go back to the hotel and empty the mini bar at your room while we talk about the old times?”

“Sounds like a plan!” Victor agrees, “No better way to celebrate our last Euros than showing up to the gala rehearsal with a hangover,”  

They walk to the hotel in long, brisk steps. At some point, Victor locks their arms together and leans on Chris. “You know, I had a lot of fun competing against you all these years,” he says,his breath puffing in the cold as he speaks “There was a time where I forgot how to enjoy it, but Yuuri helped me to remember.”

“He’s a great catch,” Chris has to admit. “You’ve always been a lucky guy,”

Victor’s entire face lights up with a ridiculously fond smile. “Right?” 

Chris sighs. “Deep down, I envied that you were able to step from the ice so easily,” he confesses. “I know it’s time for retirement, but I’m terrified. I don’t know what I am if not a skater.”

“Well, I can tell you that my experience being away from competition was terrible, I ate whatever I wanted and spent my days cuddling Makkachin and watching Yuuri exercise, all very tedious,” Victor jokes, and Chris can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah, sounds like a pain,”

“It is weird, retiring from competition for good,” Victor continues, more serious, “but I’m ready for it now,”

Chris hums in agreement. He knows the feeling. 

They arrive at their hotel, but just before the entrance, Victor stops and disentangles himself from Chris. It’s January and it’s freezing outside, but he still takes off his glove before offering his right hand to Chris.

“It was a pleasure competing against you all these years,” he says. Chris wants to reply that there’s no need to be so formal, and they’ll still see each other at Worlds before retiring, but he gets it. Euros has always felt more “theirs” than any other competition. That’s where they first spoke to each other, after all.

Chris takes off his own glove and shakes Victor’s hand. “The pleasure was mine.” They look at each other solemnly for a brief moment before they both start laughing. Chris puts an arm around Victor’s shoulders and guides him towards the hotel’s door. “Now let’s get wasted.”

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for not giving Chris the gold medal, I really wanted to but this way seemed to fit the theme I wanted to convey better ;__;
> 
> Comments and concrit are very much appreciated!!


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